BackIncarceratedInguinalHerniaWhatIsIt,Diagnosis,andMoreAuthor:CorinneTarantino,MPHEditors:AhaanaSingh,LisaMiklush,PhD,RN,CNSIllustrator:JillianDunbarWhatisanincarceratedinguinalhernia?Anincarceratedinguinalherniaisatypeofherniainwhichapartofthesmallbowel(i.e.smallintestine)protrudesintothegroinareaandcannotbepushedbackin.Thisisaspecifictypeofinguinalhernia,whichmoregenerallyreferstotheprotrusionoforgansthroughaweakenedareaoftheabdominalwallinthegroinareaorthroughanincompleteclosureofthedeepinguinalring. Incarcerationoccurswhenthisorgancannotbepushedbackintoitsoriginalcavity.Incarceratedherniasareoftensurgicalemergencies,andaclinicianshouldbeconsultedearly.Inguinalherniasaremorecommonamongmen,andofthose,incarcerationismorecommoninherniasoftherightside.Additionally,aprematureinfantexperiencingaherniahasahigherchanceoftheherniabecomingincarcerated. Isanincarceratedinguinalherniaanemergency?Yes,anincarceratedinguinalherniaisusuallyconsideredamedicalemergencyandalmostalwaysrequiresimmediatesurgeryduetotheriskofbowelobstruction.Whenbowelobstructionoccurs,foodisunabletopassthroughtheintestines,andstrangulationmayoccur.Strangulation,ortheinterruptionofbloodflowtothebowel,canleadtotissuedeath,tears,orinfection.Promptlytreatinganincarceratedherniashouldminimizetheriskofcomplications.JoinmillionsofstudentsandclinicianswholearnbyOsmosis!StartYourFreeTrialWhatcausesanincarceratedinguinalhernia?Aninguinalherniaiscausedbyanorganpushingthroughaweakenedtissue,whichcanbecausedorexacerbatedbypressure.Therearemanyriskfactorsthatcanlendtoincreasedabdominalpressure,suchaschroniccough,constipation,andheavylifting.Additionally,obesity,advancedage,smoking,andahistoryofherniascanincreasetheriskforinguinalhernias.Collagendiseaseshavealsobeenassociatedwithincreasedriskofincarceratedinguinalhernias. Howdoyoutellifaherniaisincarcerated?Aherniaisconsideredincarceratediftheherniacannotbemassagedbackintotheoriginalcavity.Incarceratedinguinalherniasusuallycauseswellinginthegroinregion,andsomemaysho